Die! Die! Die! living for touring
Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 4:58 pm

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Punk trio Die!Die!Die! are topping off another frantic year overseas with a New Zealand tour. Frontman Andrew Wilson tells Chris Ormond he's not sure where home is anymore.

Die!Die!Die! vocalist and guitarist Andrew Wilson says he was exhausted when he returned to New Zealand a couple of months ago after a huge run of northern hemisphere gigs.

The band haven't had much time to rest before starting a November tour of their home country following the recent release of their second album Promises, Promises.

A few hours after speaking to NZPA from Auckland Wilson was off again - on a three-day promotional tour to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Wilson, along with bandmates, Michael Prain (drums) and Lachlan Anderson (bass), have been living in each other's pockets but don't appear to have lost any enthusiasm for what they do.

Prain and Wilson are original members of the band, which they started while at school in their hometown of Dunedin, and Anderson - an Australian - joined last year following the departure of Henry Oliver.

The band have travelled relentlessly over the past couple of years and Wilson now struggles to say where he actually lives.

"I'm not sure. I really still like Dunedin but it's probably a bit small to base ourselves there ... but I don't know, I really don't know," he says.

The first, self-titled Die!Die!Die! album was released in 2005.

It was fast, noisy and aggressive and won them plenty of fans and critical acclaim as they left New Zealand shores to tour in the United States, Australia, Britain and Europe.

The new album has been toned down a bit in terms of aggression, but retains the band's trademark intensity and streaks ahead in terms of melody and sophistication.

The band recorded it in New York with another former Dunedin musician - Dimmer's Shayne Carter - acting as producer.

Wilson says Carter added dynamics to the album and was a pleasure to work with.

Having already gained a following in northern hemisphere countries, the band - still barely over 20-years-old - face the exciting prospect of touring those places again on the back of the new album's release overseas early next year.

The Die!Die!Die! schedule this year included about 40 shows in the United States alone.

Wilson says it now seems like a lifetime ago and despite the amount of time spent on the road, the touring never seemed to wear thin.

"Not really. I'm quite surprised how together we kept it considering the stuff we were getting up to," he says.

That included on one occasion driving from England to Germany to play a gig, before turning around and driving back again in the space of a day.

In the United States Wilson says day-long drives between gigs were softened by their mode of transport.

"Our record label got us a really sweet van with a DVD player in it. But there was like 14 hour drives and then going and playing."

It was a good way to see the country, "but the United States is actually pretty boring to look at", he says.

While constant driving was one of the things that added to the stress of constant playing the trio generally took things in their stride, even when the receptions were not as hot as what they might have liked.

"We got some pretty funny responses, especially in southern America, some of them didn't like us at all ... I think they were hoping for some good old southern rock."

But Wilson, who is as blunt and honest as some of his songs, says rock and roll fans are often not terribly sophisticated and generally like to hear the bass go "boom" the drums go "bang bang" and the lights go "flash flash", and Die!Die!Die! were able to deliver on all those counts.

Despite the enjoyment of it all, returning home at the end of it all was a relief.

"I remember getting back to New Zealand two months ago and just collapsing," Wilson says.

He's nevertheless keen to get around New Zealand and play in the type of towns the band visited when they were teenagers not so long ago.

"We just wanted to play in places we used to play when we formed the band. Places like New Plymouth and Wanganui and Napier ... Those places are pretty important to us."

Wilson says he's not sure what sort of a response the band will get but hopes turnouts will be good enough to provide a good atmosphere.

Promises, Promises is released early next year in Australia, Britain, the United States and Japan.

He says the first album sold well in Japan and the band are looking forward to adding that country to their touring hit-list.

Tour dates: Christchurch, Nov 1, Al's Bar; Wellington, Nov 2, San Francisco Bathhouse; Wellington, Nov 3, OS 9 (all ages matinee) and Lifeboat (Eastbourne); Palmerston North, Nov 4, The Stomach (all ages matinee); New Plymouth, Nov 8, Basement Bar; Napier, Nov 9, Latitude Live; Mt Maunganui, Nov 10, Brewers Bar; Hamilton, Nov 15, Yellow Submarine; Leigh, Nov 16, Sawmill; Auckland, Nov 17, King's Arms; Motueka, Nov 21, Hot Mama's; Christchurch, Nov 24, The Shed (all ages matinee); Gisborne, Dec 31, Rhythm and Vines.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4254333a4500.html

RE: Die! Die! Die! living for touring
Posted: Fri Aug 1, 2008 9:27 am

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